Should Resident Evil 5 remake come next? I forced my coworker to play co-op with me to investigate

Could Resident Evil 5 be the next Resident Evil game after Resident Evil 9 (AKA Resident Evil Requiem)? It's certainly possible in the world of gaming where all numbers have lost their meaning and I get a headache if they ever get too large (the numbers, Mason). After all, Resident Evil 4 remake blew me away in 2023 almost as much as the original did in 2005 and while Resident Evil Requiem carries forward ideas from that refresh, there's every chance the 'remake branch' of the series will continue on.

The real question, though, isn't so much could Resident Evil 5 happen, as should it? Originally released in 2009, now worryingly close to two decades ago, gaming has moved on. To investigate, I enlisted the help of GamesRadar+ ally, TechRadar's Gaming Editor and my evil twin Dashiell Wood, and forced him to play the fifth entry with me in co-op, in order to see what a series with some of the best horror games ever made could bring to the multiplayer campaign table. We came out of the experience with different opinions on whether Resident Evil 5 remake should happen (even if one of us is clearly correct).

Better to move on?

Oscar Taylor-Kent: With the success of Resident 4 remake, I forced Dash to join me on a nostalgic tour of what could, inevitably, be Capcom's next big remake. The big problem we uncovered was remembering how little it had to offer, besides co-op – which tips the careful action-horror balance of Resident 4 completely over to become about as scary as a Scooby-Doo episode (in fact, much less so).

Only a handful of asynchronous moments begin to highlight where such a thing could work, like the section where one player jumps from one building to another, and has to work their way down through a gauntlet of enemies as the other assists from across the street. Yet, it's quickly undercut by Dash's cackles as, confused between targets, the chainsaw man trudges up and down stairs like he just remembered cardio existed.

But, Resident Evil: Revelations 2 already capitalised on that co-op vibe much better by ditching the action-heavy approach, which here otherwise revolves around whacking two minigun turrets onto an SUV instead of just one. The full-on chaos of the Desperate Escape DLC is the only time it successfully leans in. That expansion isn't very Resi-like, but becomes a highlight in how it throws away expectation with wreckless, explosive abandon. By the end, we're exchanging assault rifle fire with zombies with guns, and mowing down legions of spongy lickers – and I can't help but think about how far we've come since Resident Evil 2, albeit in completely the wrong direction.

Thankfully, that's been reverted now, with Resident Evil 2 remake and Resident Evil 4's own redo raising the series bar for me, and Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village remaining firm favourites. Yet, like Albert Wesker's treasured Uroboros (or "Among Us", according to Dash), the series is poised to wrap back around and devour itself once more. I say, ditch it – I can't bear doing this again.

Bring on the boulders

Dashiell Wood: On paper, this is a slam dunk so, unlike Oscar, I say bring on the remake. The logical successor to Resident Evil 4, all of that fantastic game's best moments and mechanics reappear here in an expanded form. The annoying Ashley is gone entirely, replaced by a sentient (but sometimes equally frustrating in Oscar's case) co-op partner, the tense inventory management is now an even tighter squeeze, and the action has been dialled up to 11. There's even a bag-wearing chainsaw-wielding man who chases you through the campaign.

The problem is that, unlike its predecessor, nothing really works. Resident Evil 4 felt innovative in 2005 but, with this entry releasing half a decade later, it's hard not to feel things had already moved on. The introduction of tedious cover-based shooting slows later sections to a crawl and, while impressively cinematic at times, it's never really clear what you're actually meant to be doing in any of the baffling boss fights.

The handful of puzzles are even worse, failing to capitalise on the co-op mechanics and bogged down by atrocious checkpointing. In one memorable example, a basic challenge to direct a laser beam using large mirrors had Oscar accidentally one-hit killing me time and time again, punishing us with being sent back to a long loading screen – eventually I just had to wait it out in a corner.

The portrayal of its setting, a fictionalised African nation, is also mired in uncomfortable racial stereotypes that make certain sections particularly difficult to sit through. Judging by the success of recent remakes, it seems unavoidable that Capcom will eventually go back to 5 and, frankly, they probably should. There's a lot here that needs fixing.

Who's more correct, Oscar or Dash? Or is the debate simply more like punching a boulder? Let us know in the comments if you'd like to see Resident Evil 5 remake, and what you want from it if you do.

A version of this article originally appeared in PLAY Magazine #27 – which printed its final issue in 2024. Looking for more zombie fun? Check out our best Resident Evil games ranking!